Top 3 J.T. Miller trade destinations: Best landing spots for $56,000,000 Canucks' forward amid rift with Elias Pettersson

J.T. Miller's time as a Vancouver Canuck could soon be coming to a close as the reported rift between him and fellow Canucks star forward Elias Pettersson continues to grow louder.

Elliotte Friedman said on Friday's edition of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast" that the Canucks are now open and listening to trade offers for both players. Miller is in the second season of a seven-year $56,000,000 contract.

He missed 10 games in November as he took a leave of absence. In the 27 games this season, Miller has produced 25 points (six goals, 19 assists).

Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Miller has the 13th most points of any player in the NHL. He has racked up an elite production of 309 points (107 goals, 202 assists) in 269 games. He's also been reliable in the faceoff circle with over 54% success rate in each of the last four seasons. Combining the strong statistics with his physical play and passion for the game, he is a coach's dream.

While it's been a tumultuous 2024-25 season for Miller, there is no debating his on-ice abilities. Should he become available, which sounds like it has already happened, almost every team in the league will have interest.

Let's take a look at the top 3 trade destinations for Miller, should the Canucks decide to move on from the star forward.

Top 3 trade destinations for Canucks star J.T. Miller

#1. New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are desperate to make seismic changes to their roster. Trading away former captain Jacob Trouba and 2019 second overall pick Kaapo Kakko has not sparked the Rangers as general manager Chris Drury had hoped for.

Miller, who was originally drafted 15th overall by the Rangers in 2011, is exactly what they're looking for. A star player, who is extremely competitive and has an edge to his game. Drury freed up plenty of cap space with his previous moves, giving him $4.64 million to play with. Miller's $8 million average-annual-value is hefty, but New York is well-positioned to take it on should they send some money back to Vancouver in return.

Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, K'Andre Miller, and Ryan Lindgren have all been mentioned as trade possibilities. All of whom would even out the Rangers taking on Miller's salary.

#2. Carolina Hurricanes

It was mentioned by Elliotte Friedman last week that he anticipates that the Carolina Hurricanes will take a big swing before this year's trade deadline. What would be bigger than trading for J.T. Miller? The Canes are tracking to make their seventh consecutive postseason appearance. Although they've been unable to make it past the Eastern Conference final, Miller's playoff style of play would be a great fit for Carolina and provide them a much-needed offensive boost.

The only factor standing in their way is a lack of cap space (-$743K). Putting goaltender Frederik Andersen on LTIR would free up $3.4 million and potentially including players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi in a trade package would allow them to fit Miller into their lineup.

#3. Pittsburgh Penguins

How about the Pittsburgh Penguins? J.T. Miller was born in East Palestine, Ohio, which is just 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and he'll likely be interested in playing close to home. The Penguins sit one point out of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

As they look to make one last playoff run with their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the time is now to make additions to improve the roster around them. Miller would be a tremendous fit, potentially taking over the center spot on a line with Malkin who has struggled in the dot with a 42% clip.

The money will be tight as the Pens sit with $2 million in cap space. Defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who the Canucks have shown interest in the past, is in the final year of his contract and could close that gap.